Giorgio Petrosyan. The name carries a special weight to kickboxing fans. For a four year run from 2009-2013, Petrosyan was the undeniable pound for pound king of kickboxing. During that time, the Doctor ruled over the Lightweight division, winning two K-1 MAX GP’s plus the Glory 70kg GP. His technique was impeccable, showing a mastery of stand-up striking paralleled by only a select few men in any combat sport. If that sounds like outlandish hyperbole, it’s not. Petrosyan was simply the best.

Then, in late 2013 at Glory 12, that all fell apart. Petrosyan was knocked out in a shocking upset by Andy Ristie. The king was dead. He would spend the next year on the sidelines, missing all of 2014 in part due to injury. In 2015, he returned to the ring, mostly in smaller shows, though he did make a triumphant return to Glory that year with a win over rising star Josh Jauncey. In 2016, he’s 2-0, again back on smaller level shows. Overall, Petrosyan is 6-0 since the Ristie loss.

This weekend, Petrosyan returns to the international kickboxing spotlight as he makes his debut for Bellator Kickboxing on Saturday. His return leads to an obvious question: is the king back? Is Petrosyan still the best kickboxer on the planet?

It’s not an easy question to answer. His skills remain at the very peak, but between his time off, his lower level of opposition, and his long-running injury issues (Petrosyan has been out of action with hand problems for long stretches at various times) just where does he stand?

I asked this question of the man himself, Giorgio Petrosyan in advance of his Bellator Kickboxing debut. His response was surprisingly candid:

“Frankly, I don’t know. I only know that I would be ready to face any opponent.”

Petrosyan’s Bellator Kickboxing opponent is Jordan Watson, a tough UK fighter with a Muay Thai background like Petrosyan. Watson is a solid fighter with a high degree of top level experience, though he has typically stumbled when faced with the elite level of opponent. And that leads to the other big question mark about Petrosyan in 2016 – just when will he face a true elite talent again?

Petrosyan himself remains cagey about this. Though he says he is ready to face anyone, he doesn’t have any fighter, or indeed any particular career goals in mind at this point, seeking to just fight “against any opponent.”

So what will Saturday tell us about the former pound for pound king? Probably not much that we don’t already know. No disrespect to the talented Watson, but this should be a straightforward Petrosyan win. The questions will start to get answered after Saturday. Will he stick around in Bellator Kickboxing? And will he fight top level talents? Kickboxing fans are hoping the answer to that second question is a resounding yes. Because we want to know if the king is truly back. Hopefully Saturday takes us a step closer towards that answer.

Bellator Kickboxing: Florence, headlined by Giorgio Petrosyan vs. Jordan Watson, takes place this Saturday, December 10 in Italy. The show will air in the US on tape delay next Friday, December 16 at 11:15 p.m. ET immediately following Bellator 169. Also fighting on the show are Joe Schilling and Kevin Ross among others.